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Predatory Hearts/Shadowclan Arc
Chapter 1 Coltsfoot: The flowers look like dandelions, with yellow or white petals. Used to treat damaged pads and eases breathing. “Sandcreek! You’re jittering again! You’re not stressing yourself over remembering herbs, are you?” A bristly tail tip brushed soothingly across Sandcreek’s back. Sparrownose had been his mentor for six months and knew him better than his own parents; In Mintstar’s Shadowclan, it was normal for weaned kits to be estranged from their parents and encouraged to spend time with the warrior apprentices to wring the sentiment out of them and refill it with the leader’s ideal personality of a battle-hardened, merciless warrior. No kit could escape, and parents knew they could do nothing about it on their own, so they didn’t try. Sandcreek had helplessly watched his own brother Ashpaw fall victim to this agenda. The two brothers spent lots of time together, but Sandcreek always felt like he was talking to a different cat he grew up with as a young kit. Sparrownose was studying him sympathetically with dull green eyes. “I know you’ve found it hard to adjust to medicine cat life and your progress has been slow, but I don’t want to let you gather herbs on your own if you’re not confident.” The aging medicine cat continued stroking his tail along Sandcreek’s back; it was the best way to calm him down. “That’s it, Sandcreek, deep breaths.” I wasn’t even meant to be a medicine cat, I only did it to avoid becoming like Ashpaw! Herbs all look the same to me; I don’t even know why Sparrownose decided to give me my full name! His breathing grew rapid, his paws twitching with anxiety. “You can take someone with you if you feel unsafe,” suggested his mentor quietly. “When I was an apprentice my mentor always let me gather herbs without her supervision if I took a friend. It made it ten times more fun! You’re always with your brother, I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to come along.” Sandcreek spotted Ashpaw finishing off a toad with the other apprentices. “Thanks for the idea, I’ll talk to him,” he replied meekly. He exited the medicine cat’s den, savouring the strips of sunlight that filtered through the pine branches and onto his cream fur. “Coltsfoot!” Sparrownose reminded him from behind. “We’re looking for Coltsfoot!” Chapter 2 Ashpaw prodded a plant with a kit-like paw. “Is this coltsfoot?” he called over to Sandcreek. Sandcreek stiffened up as he saw the trampled dandelion. “Not too hard! You’ll ruin it!” He shoved Ashpaw away frantically and carefully inspected the trodden-on plant. “That, is a dandelion,” he corrected his brother like he was talking to a kit. “I may look like a kit but I certainly don’t think like one!” retorted Ashpaw, fluffing himself up to make him look bigger. “I’ll tell Mintstar. We all know I’m her favourite apprentice!” The mighty kit gets a nerve hit, but he hits one right back, mused Sandcreek to avoid another anxiety attack. Ashpaw continued. “I know how much you fear her. It’s why you avoided becoming a warrior.” The glint in Ashpaw’s eye gradually turned from malicious to the usually dull hue. He stepped forward and nuzzled his brother’s cheek. “The problem with telling someone a secret is that they can use it against you later.” He paused. “Sandcreek… Can I tell you one of mine?” Sandcreek stopped. Ashpaw’s secret is most likely something immature like a crush or a prank he pulled. He may be a “battle-hardened perfect apprentice” like Mintstar always claims him to be, but deep down there’s still a youthful flame inside him. “G-go ahead,” he stammered. “We’re brothers. We’ve done things like this since you were kits.” Sandcreek kneaded his soft cream paws into the ground nervously. “I can turn into a rat.” “Give over, Ashpaw, that’s not possible.” Ashpaw’s eyes gleamed challengingly. “I can prove it.” Sandcreek sat down, unimpressed. He watched his brother bring his tail around to his mouth. “Ashpaw, don’t do that you’ll hurt--” A burst of energy knocked him off his paws. Dust and pine needles grazed his legs, and he closed his eyes. What in the name of Silverpelt is happening? When he reopened them, he couldn’t see Ashpaw at all. In front of him was a rat. A fat, grey, ugly rat. That can’t be Ashpaw! This is a trick! The thing scampered towards him, and that’s when he screamed. Chapter 3 “Ashpaw!” he shouted frantically. The rat scampered up to him, its eyes glistening. “It’s really you,” Sandcreek whispered. “You can really turn into a rat!” He laughed and chased Ashopaw around, all traces of anxiety gone from him. It was at these precious moments where he could feel completely himself without fear of persecution for treason. “How do you turn back?” he asked, crouching low to meet his brother eye to eye. Sandcreek jumped back when Ashpaw dashed away from him, pausing and signalling for Sandcreek to follow. To avoid suspicion, Sandcreek walked at a leisurely pace with Ashpaw’s rat form close in front of him. They travelled on the border, far from any patrols. “The moonpool?” Sandcreek wondered aloud as they crossed the land behind Thunderclan’s territory. Far above the treetops above the lake, an owl danced, calling out in delight. And is that a Starclan cat? Must be a trick of the light. He descended the stone slope and marvelled at the pool beneath him. To him, it would never lose its beauty. Ashpaw bounded forward and slurped up a minute amount of water. A blinding white light overcame him, brighter than the stars themselves. A small cat-shaped form emerged and the light faded. “Ashpaw!” Sandcreek gasped in glee. “You’re amazing!” Ashpaw blinked his hazel eye in surprise. “Hold on, wait a sec; I want to get adjusted first.” Sandcreek at back patiently, but inside he was bouncing all over the place. “We could use your power to rebel against Mintstar!” “You… you want to do it too?” Ashpaw whispered quietly, in shock. Sandcreek backed away. “I didn’t mean to say it out loud,” he spluttered. “But if you want to do it with me, it would be a dream come true.” Ashpaw looked at him oddly, before putting what Sandcreek said into a more appropriate context. After an awkward pause, Ashpaw meowed: “You are going to the Moonpool tonight, right? Ask Starclan about it.” “So does that mean I have permission to use your power for this rebellion?” Sandcreek asked, a desperate pleading in his eyes. Ashpaw purred. “Don’t be stupid, of course you can.” He gazed warmly into his brother’s eyes. “I want this as much as you do.” Sandcreek paced in a frustrated circle. “We need to gain suppoerters,” he muttered. “We can’t do this alone.” He looked sharply at Ashpaw. He no longer felt like an anxious medicine cat. “I’m with you, brother,” Ashpaw meowed firmly, letting out a purr of amusement. “I’m still not used to this rebellion thing.” “Let’s go,” Sandcreek growled, feeling a sense of purpose. “We’ve got work to do.” Chapter 4 The stars gleamed bright with hope as Sandcreek and Sparrownose padded side by side with the other medicine cats on their way to the Moonpool. The dense forest usually made him anxious with the unusual scenery, but he was eager to reach the Moonpool and consult Starclan. “Someone’s excited tonight,” mused Sparrownose. “You’re usually dreading these long journeys.” Sandcreek shifted his shoulders from side to side. “I’ve gotten over it,” he said in a clipped tone. He felt Sparrownose’s green eyes like dead grass burning into him like a thorn, and decided to respond to his mentor’s suspiciousness. He let out a breath, releasing the tension inside of him. “I feel like as a medicine cat, I should have a strong relationship with Starclan.” “Hm.” Sparrownose nodded. “I like that.” Sandcreek broke away from the group as he rushed to the Moonpool. The silver stone walls reflected the pool’s light, which seemed to emit a light all on its own. The unnatural smoothness made Sparrownose wonder in awe if it was something only Starclan could make. The unnoticeable uneven ground looked like hundreds of pawprints had been carved into it from ancient times. The Moonpool was truly a work of the awe-inspiring powers of Starclan. “I have to talk to Starclan!” he exclaimed aloud, skidding headfirst into the puddle. He landed in an unruly heap in Starclan’s hunting grounds, and regained his focus to see a mottled tortoiseshell staring down at him, concerned. “Pollenfoot?” he mumbled, recognising the elder who died the previous winter due to starvation. Pollenfoot helped nose him to his feet. “We mustn’t waste time on formalities and waffling, we don’t have much time.” He started to walk in a random direction at a brisk pace, stopping every now and then for Sandcreek to catch up. “What’s the urgency?” Sandcreek panted. Pollenfoot twisted his head sharply to look at him. “You must never tell this to anyone except your brother. Consider it an oath of Starclan.” “Done.” “You brother has a power called a Lovac which Starclan granted him at birth. It’s why he’s small, vicious and quick, and why he can turn into a rat by biting his tail. Not many non-Lovac living cats know this, and there are other Lovac holders but they can transform into different animals. Like Mintstar, for example--” “WHAT?” Sandcreek shieked, fur bristling. He was shot down by Pollenfoot’s steely gaze which was as intimidating as staring straight into the eyes of a badger before it attacked. “If you would let me finish,” the once-elder growled. Sandcreek settled back down, shivering in shock. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted,” he spat. “Minstar holds the badger Lovac, and she is the Badger named Darkfang who is terrorizing the clans. She does it at her own will. Now, a bit of history.” He stood up, and beckoned Sandcreek to follow him. Sandcreek observed the starry landscape around him. He spotted cats he didn’t know chatting, hunting, laughing. To know that some of them could be Lovac holders in the past… “The leader before Mintstar was her father, Webstar. He wanted to ‘restore Shadowclan to his former glory’. He died before Mintstar was born. So Webstar begged Starclan to bestow the Badger Lovac onto his only daughter, and they accepted.” Sandcreek looked at him, intruiged. “How did that go down?” “Mintkit fitted right in with her violent nature, and quickly rose through the ranks with her hunting and fighting skill, and appointed leader at three years old, the youngest leader ever. During her nine lives ceremony, her father explained to her he Lovac and her duty to restore Shadowclan to its former glory, an ambition they both secretly shared. So, in her badger form, she led many attacks on the lake territories, single-handedly wiping out patrols with her knowledge of cat fighting techniques and cat intelligence, quickly earning the title of Darkfang. As leader, she ran a tight ship of her clan, training apprentices harshly and punishing wrongdoers even more harshly.” “Of course!” breathed Sandcreek. “I understand it now! …But how do I take down Mintstar?” He looked up at Pollenfoot, who was returning his gaze with one of hopelessness and despair. Sandcreek felt the emotions mirror in him. “There are many silent cats wishing for change, Sandcreek,” Pollenfoot told the quivering tom. “Find them, but tell them nothing about Ashpaw. The existence of Lovacs are rarely told to living cats who aren’t Lovac holders.” Pollenfoot disappeared in a blur as a large black and white tabby tom lunged at him, shrieking in rage. Sandcreek instantly recognized the intruder as Webstar. “What Mintstar is doing is right!” choked out the former leader, his voice full of pride and emotion. “Apprentices are being raised to be more ruthless! Shadowclan will soon have a generation of battle-hardy warriors after all your geriatric friends have died out! Shadowclan is becoming feared again! This is the way it is meant to be!” The two tomcats grappled with each other over the starry grass. “Deluded tyrant!” hacked out Pollenfoot. “Mintstar will see her downfall, and you will be there to watch the demise of your special snowflake.” “Get off me, dungface!” Webstar hissed, spitting into Pollenfoot’s eye and temporarily blinding him. “Tell only Ashpaw!” rasped Pollenfoot as Webstar pinned him down. Other Starclan cats came rushing to his aid, and a she-cat looked apologetically at Sandcreek who was watching in horror before whisking him away back to the overworld. “Woah, Sandcreek, you almost drowned in there!” “You just dived in as if you were going deep in a cat’s a--!” “Ew, Mothpaw, keep it appropriate!” “Sorry, Heatherthroat!” Sandcreek heard Sparrownose sigh. “Enough, everyone. Sandcreek is sodden and he needs to get back to camp.” He helped Sandcreek to his paws, who nodded gratefully in response. Once he regained his senses, Sandcreek blinked at Sparrownose. “I slipped.” “Likely story,” Sparrownose snorted, acting totally out-of-character. “Come on, once you’re warmed up and home, you can tell everybody how you tried to bellyflop into the Moonpool.” Chapter 5 The Shadowclan-Riverclan border bristled with tension. It was late in the afternoon, and Mintstar had announced a surprise attack on the neighboring clan that morning. Nobody complained or asked why: doing so would result in exile. The strong wind swirled up small tornadoes of debris, and Sandcreek struggled to bask in the fading light as the wind buffeted his fur. He wasn’t going in to battle, but he and Sparrownose were supposed to stand on the sidelines and watch out for wounded warriors. He didn’t want to be here, but he had no choice. He remembered relaying all of Pollenfoot’s information to Ashpaw as soon as he got home from the Moonpool before dawn. Ashpaw took it all in dutifully but drowsily, and went promptly back to sleep. Sandcreek could see his brother now, crouching in a line beside other Shadowclan cats. He could sense the dark grey apprentice jittering in excitement. “Shadowclan, attack!” shrieked Mintstar, and the wave of agile bodies swept over the rival territory. Sandcreek watched them surge away and into the rival camp. “So, Sandcreek,” Sparrownose meowed, filling the awkward silence. “Is this one of Ashpaw’s first battles?” “No.” Sparrownose shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. “Heh, stupid of me to ask.” Together they listened to the cacophony of cat screeches in the distance. Sandcreek felt his stomach lurch. He imagined the attempted genocide of innocent cats, the feeble efforts of elders trying to defend themselves as they were struck down, the separation of kits and their mothers, as queens watched the purposeless mass-murder of their helpless children. All for the sake of tyranny, the need to create fear, and war. “Sandcreek! You’re shaking like a willow in the wind!” Sandcreek let out a wail of despair. “I can’t help this!” He ran forwards, but got yanked back when Sparrownose caught him by the tail using his blunt teeth. “Ow!” Sparrownose looked at him with dull green eyes full of pity. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. But if you’re suddenly worried about Ashpaw then… there’s nothing we can do.” o0o0o Ashpaw weaved in and out of warriors, landing swipes here and there. They were shallow, but their accuracy rate was 100%. A small grey blur flashed in front of him, intercepting him. Triumph glinted in her bright green eyes. If it wasn’t for her narcissistic personality that followed their encountered, Ashpaw would have found her exceptionally pretty. “You’ll be the seventh cat I’ve taken down, runt!” she gloated. “I’m the best warrior in the Clan. I’m Fallowdip, and if you live, you’ll definitely fall in love with me!” Cringe, scowled Ashpaw. He tried a feint attack but missed as Fallowdip swished past him. Mouse-dung! She’s faster than me? How? He went in for close combat, but watched in astonishment as Fallowdip made a perfectly-timed leap over him. Now this is just crazy! “Fishbrain!” he screeched, and full of a blind, white-hot rage, lost all control. He darted towards her, plunging his claws into Fallowdip’s soft flank and dragged them through. Fallowdip choked out a horrific screech that filled the air of the camp, stunning the cowering defenseless Riverclan cats into silence. He landed hard blow after hard blow, mutilating Fallowdip’s flank into a messy pulp, like the results of a kit toying with a dead mouse. He continued to snarl and scrape when Fallowdip retreated into the silence of death, and stopped only when Mintstar herself picked him up by the scruff and launched him to the other side of the Riverclan camp. The impact of the fall smacked him back to his senses. The first thing he saw was Fallowdip’s bright red body, rendering him speechless. Did I… do that? No… no! How did I lose control of myself? I’m a monster! How could I mutilate a cat like that? He broke down in grief, slumped against the ground in a shameful mess. Mintstar shook him awake with a massive bloodstained paw. “You’d better come with us back home if you don’t want to get turned into crowfood like I did with these cats,” she growled, glancing over the results of her uncalled-for destruction. Ashnose could detect a trace of pride in her tone. Is she proud of me for mutilating a cat? Is she proud of me breaking the warrior code in an obscene way? But this wasn’t Thunderclan, this was Shadowclan, where the leader’s word was law, not the Warrior code’s. He got up, still shaking with silent sobs, and trailed after Mintstar. If anyone saw the trembling grey tom and the proud badger-like she-cat, none would guess that they belonged to the same clan. That’s what Ashpaw knew he felt like from now on. Chapter 6 Shadowclan camp bustled with scuffed warriors. Sandcreek marveled at the scarcity of wounds after a heavy battle. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, but it was so weird that he couldn’t get over the feeling. It was like these warriors had just rolled in the dirt for a few seconds instead of a fully-fledged war against another clan. Ashpaw. I should see how he is. He spotted his brother crouched in a shadowy corner of the camp. He was hunched in a grey ball that camouflaged against the shadows. Sandcreek knew on instinct something was wrong. He padded over to him. “Ashpaw?” he quivered softly. Slowly, Ashpaw strained his head upwards. His soft silver eyes brimmed with regret and pain. “I killed a cat, Sandcreek,” he croaked. “I lost control. I killed an innocent cat.” Sandcreek stood still, unsure of how to react. The tone of Ashpaw’s voice turned to anger. “And Mintstar was proud of me!” Warily, he dropped his volume to an emotional rasp. “She was proud of me of breaking the code in an obscene way. This is so wrong, Sandcreek!” With an awkward nod, Sandcreek stepped closer. “There, there,” he said tentatively, gently licking Ashpaw’s cheek. He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I have no idea how to comfort a cat.” Ashpaw’s eyes lit up with a tinge of gratefulness, although they remained dim. “Starclan will forgive you,” was all that Sandcreek could think of saying. “I forgive you.” Sighing, Ashpaw got up. “I’ll never forgive myself,” he moped. He looked as if his whole body was being weighed down with guilt, like an opponent on his shoulders that couldn’t be thrown off. “Let all cats gather for a warrior ceremony.” Minstar’s gruff call broke the awkward silence. Sandcreek jumped in surprise. A warrior ceremony? For Ashpaw? He fretted. Sandcreek and Ashpaw reluctantly dragged themselves into the sunlight. It felt like wading upstream in a fast-flowing river. “Ashpaw, please step forwards,” demanded Minstar with suppressed glee. Racked with nerves, Sandcreek looked at his brother. The tiny grey tom was staring at Mintstar, his face convulsed with a mix of horror, rage and disgust. “Ashpaw, I don’t have all day,” reminded Mintstar. After a few tense moments, Ashpaw shook himself and marched forwards. Sandcreek let out a small gasp. In the space of a moment, Ashpaw had switched to being a confident warrior, eyes burning with determination and rage. What was he about to do? All eyes were on Ashpaw. He plopped himself below the branch Mintstar was lounging on. Suddenly, the Shadowclan leader launched into an animated speech. “She-cats and toms, I have waited so long for this moment!” she began, eyes brimming with happiness. Sandcreek stared at her. Did she get chucked off a mountain and landed on her head? This is a total change of character! Is she high on catnip? Oh. Wait. She treats Ashpaw like her own son. It’s obvious she’d be happy. But why to such an extreme level? It’s not like her. “It’s time for my apprentice, dearest Ashpaw, to become a warrior! Today he had demonstrated such incredible skill and expertise and determination that he is a shining example of the ideal Shadowclan warrior! If I could, I’d adopt him as my very own son!” The Shadowclan cats got disturbed at this. Sandcreek even heard one suppress a laugh, and another gave out a confused choking sound. “Ashpaw, from this day on, you shall be known as Ashnose. I honour your exceptional skill and control.” Control? WHAT CONTROL? She leapt down and leant forwards to let Ashnose lick her shoulder. But instead, Ashnose spat in her eye. Mintstar, big bad Mintstar, recoiled in surprise. The clan gasped so loudly that birds flew out of the trees, making the forest rustle in distress. “I don’t want to be a warrior for breaking the code in such a nauseating way,” he snarled. That is truly disgusting. You are truly disgusting, Badgerstar!" The camp was deathly silent. “Woah, bro,” someone whispered. Mintstar was speechless. She couldn’t do or think of anything. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and pine needles as her large black and white body hit the floor. A chorus of cheers erupted. “I could never do that, Ashnose!” screamed a tom ecstatically to a burned-out Ashnose. “standing up to her like that! We’ve all dreamed of it, and you just made those dreams come true!” “Ashstar! Ashstar!” someone chanted. “Ashstar! Ashstar! Ashstar!” Sandcreek barreled into the crowd of cats. “Everyone, please!” he yelled over the ruckus. “Let’s sort this out. If you disprove of Mintstar’s leadership and want a rebellion, sit down.” In unison, the whole clan sat. Ashnose just collapsed in a panting mess. “Okay so,” Sandcreek meowed awkwardly, keeping a low volume to not wake Mintstar up. “Ashnose and I have wanted a rebellion for a while, and I didn’t think we’d have so many cats who agree with us.” He was still reeling from Ashnose’s outburst and the overwhelming number of supporters. “We need a secret society to overthrow her.” “Ashclan!” a rabid fangirl screamed. Sandcreek nodded. “Okay, we’ll all be Ashclan.” “Mintstar has seven lives left,” piped up Sparrownose. “If we can inflict an injury so bad that not even Starclan can heal it, all her lives will be taken at once, for example slicing open her belly and obliterating all her organs!” he fantasized with excitement. Great Starclan, this rebellion thing is turning everyone frighteningly morbid! “Uh… okay…” Sandcreek meowed hesitantly. Excited chatter spread throughout the clan. “I’m no good at leading a rebellion--” Sandcreek started, but an angry voice cut him off: “We want Ashpaw to lead!” Sandcreek shrank back, deflated. Chants of “Ashstar!” started up again. Ashnose staggered to his feet. “We should take care of Mintstar,” he meowed flatly, although Sandcreek could see him quivering with excitement and bride, and his silver eyes shone brighter than Silverpelt. Sandcreek knew from that moment on that the rebellion had begun. Chapter 7 A half-moon passed. Cats trod across the damp shore, the cold night air creeping through their fur and onto their skin. A mass of silhouettes squirming along behind Mintstar, her massive form stumbling ahead, still in shock. “Has she recovered yet?” Ashnose hissed to his brother. Sandcreek shook his head, “It’s a wonder you’re not mincemeat yet.” Silence. “Tonight is when we plan our rebellion,” breathed Ashnose as the clan traipsed over to the island. “I smell Thunderclan, Riverclan… Where’s Windclan?” “Late.” Sandcreek shrugged. “Come on, let’s get settled. Where do we meet the others?” “Near the back, like near the tree. As far away from Mintstar as possible! I’ll go tell the others.” Ashnose slipped away through the crowd. Sandcreek suddenly felt alone, like the shade creeping over his body. He had been to the gathering many times before, but he was never alone. Ashnose was always beside him. He stared helplessly at the crowd of cats, slowly blurring into one multicolored mess. He sharply jerked his head this way and that, pleading silently. A white cat almost collided into him, stumbling to a halt before him. “H-have you seen my brother?” Sandcreek stammered. “He’s a tiny grey tom, it’s hard not to miss him.” The she-cat bounced up onto her paws. “Sandcreek, right? You’re the Shadowclan medicine cat!” I’ve never seen you before! “How do you know my name?” “I know everyone’s name,” she breathed, dark blue eyes widening creepily. Sandcreek stepped back in shock. A second she-cat, also white, stepped forwards. “Who’s your brother?” she inquired nervously. Shouldering the creepy cat away, Sandcreek turned to her with eyes full of relief. “His name is Ashpaw.” Shit! How could I get his name wrong? “He’s quick, vicious, and ridiculously tiny. He looks more like a kit than a seasoned apprentice!” I didn’t even get his pelt colour correct, what am I saying? “I’ll find him!” the new cat declared. Sandcreek’s shoulders straightened with relief. “Ashpaw!” he wailed. Ugh, I did it again! A grey blur barrelled into Sandcreek yelling “Bro!” Ashnose noticed the two she-cats, and put on a charade. “Let me show you a new battle move! Mintstar taught me this one exclusively for me!” Ashnose bounded up to his paws. Sandcreek winced. “This is a truce, Ashpaw. Not again!! That’s not allowed here. Maybe tomorrow.” Ashnose huffed and flexed his claws in the soft ground. “Mintstar would skin you alive if she found out!” “Who’s Mintstar?” one of the cats whispered. “Leader of Shadowclan. She has this weird fascist agenda with her apprentices: she trains them to be merciless killing machines or something. If you ask any Shadowclan cat about it here they’d ignore you. But… it’s a wonder what you can pick up from eavesdropping!” The creepy one winked at the helpful one cheekily. Ashnose had already stormed off in a huff, and Sandcreek started apologising to them frantically, keeping up with Ashnose’s act. “It’s ok, it’s ok… Ashpaw’s just grumpy today… not all Shadowclan cats are like this I swear! I mean, I’m nice…” he trailed off with nothing left to say, and dipped his head in shame. “Haha… sorry about that, brother. Anything to preserve Shadowclan’s secrecy, you know?” I’ve notified everyone. The gathering’s about to start. Let’s go.” Sandcreek and Ashnose were met at the tree bridge with quiet cheers. “Before we start, I have something to tell you all,” Ashnose said. He told the clan of his Lovac, their expressions in solid rapture. “And I can’t transform now,” Ashnose whispered, “I know there’s people here. It releases energy, that transformation. Everyone will notice it! Plus… there are other Lovacs here too. Minstar has a power like this too. If she notices, we’ll all be slaughtered!” Nobody dared to breathe. Further on, the warbling of the gathering continued. Ashnose continued. “We need a plan. We need to work together.” “Rat army!” a cat cheered. “We have Ashnose, now we just need others!” Sandcreek hesitated. “Where do we get all those rats?” The cat hesitated. “The Twolegplace! Rats are sure to be found there! Or we could do the abandoned one in Thunderclan.” “No. We’re not crossing Clan borders,” Ashnose confronted. “We’re better than that.” “With Mintstar’s leadership? She doesn’t mind, or care. It’s okay! Live a little!” “Guys, guys, let’s settle,” Sandcreek sighed. “So far, we have the idea of bringing a hoard of rats from somewhere in the forest to Shadowclan territory. Then maybe we could instigate a rat fight with Mintstar and Ashnose can transform and infect her, or we could trap her and then he infects her!” Sandcreek panted. “Well… I have no other ideas,” Ashnose shrugged. The crowd was silent. “That settles it. That’s our plan. Vague, but it’s something.” The crowd dispersed as the Gathering was disbanded. Chapter 8 The following night, Ashnose and Sandcreek crept out to the clearing between the Riverclan and Shadowclan border. Ashnose transformed, and Sandcreek braced himself against the gust. “How far can you leap?” he asked the rat on the ground. Ashnose sprang in the air, and surprisingly landed quite a long distance from where he had started. It was long for a rat, anyway. The jump’s height was surprising too. High enough to reach a cat’s neck, which was useful. “Try nipping me, I won’t dodge,” Sandcreek ordered. Ashnose dashed forwards and nipped him. “Ah! That stings!” he hissed. “Good enough.” He licked the bleeding paw. Sandcreek bounced back on his paws. “Alright then, brother, let’s see how fast you are!” He dashed to the side, enjoying the cool, still night breeze on his fur. His legs ached from the hunting of the day, but Ashnose’s training was a priority if Mintstar was to be taken down. So every night, they agreed to training. If Ashnose wasn’t capable enough, their vague plan could fail. He’s fast, Sandcreek marveled. Does a Lovac also give the holder speed and strength? He kept dodging left and right. Ugh, it’s so hard to see in the dark! Especially when he’s a dark color as well. “I can’t see you!” he wailed in anguish. He heard a squeak. “Ah! There you are!” He pounced, but his paws hit hard dirt. Just keep running, test his speed! So he kept running all over the place with jerky turns, pushing his body from left to right with his paws. This is a good workout for me too! Later, he collapsed onto the ground. “You’re fast… strong… agile… You’re good,” he panted. Should we stop? I’m tired, I can’t really go on… “We’re going to do training tomorrow night. I wanted to test how good you are. Let’s go to the Moonpool to change you back.” The two started walking, although Ashnose was scampering along as a rat, but it was walking nonetheless. As the crept up along the Thunderclan border, Sandcreek noted the faintly visible silhouettes of the pine trees with their thick, stinging aroma, the mud squelching beneath his paws, with those icky wet sounds he always hated. The bubbling of the stream. The humming of the wind. Crickets. The few birds. Owls. All these things he never stopped to listen to before. In the fog of a fascist regime, it was hard to see what was right in front of them. “Maybe we’ll be able to hear the forest when we’re free,” he sighed. He shook his head. “What does that even mean?” Silently they stepped up to the Moonpool, Sandcreek standing awkwardly while Ashnose transformed back. “Does it hurt?” he asked him. “You know, when you transform.” “Yeah, I mean, I’m changing size and skeleton. It’s so painful! But it always vanished when I’ve transformed back, so it’s always okay in the end.” The two brothers walked back to camp silently. “You trained really well. It’s amazing!” “Thanks! I feel really confident in this plan, but it’s a lot of pressure, being a symbol of hope and rebellion for all these cats. And there’s the thoughts of failure.” “If we fail, Starclan will take her down themselves! It’s happened! They strike trees with lightning and it falls on cats! Foolproof! Brother, I believe in you.” Chapter 9 "We need a plan." Sandcreek drummed the ground with his claws. It was a chilly afternoon, and the sun glared weakly through the clouds. Sandcreek and Ashnose had managed to snag two warriors away from their patrol: Frostrift, Mintstar's deputy and first apprentice, and his sister Gullyfern. The four cats sat huddled around the coast. The caresses of the calm lapping of the waves made Sandcreek shiver. Frostrift glared at him through narrowed azure eyes. "You'd better hurry up, or Mintstar will skin me alive for being off-duty. It's a good thing she doesn't go on patrols anymore." Sandcreek sighed. The cold-hearted white tom was giving him the creeps. "We've decided on rats." Gullyfern tilted her head to the side. "We're going to cross over to the abandoned Twolegplace in Thunderclan, and Ashnose will transform and lead the horde of rats to the camp. "Oh, and leave all the kits and elderly cats to die?" snorted Frostrift. "No!" cried Sandcreek desperately. "Of course we're going to evacuate them first! We'll have to do this at night." Frostrift's gaze was unmoving. "And then what? Mintstar crushed rats like berries." Out of the corner of his eye, Sandcreek detected a twinkle in his brother's eyes. "Exactly," Ashnose grinned. "We kill her with death berries. I roll around in death berry juice and leap into her moth. She chomps on me and dies. But then... I'll die too." "You can't do that!" Sandcreek gasped. He rushed over and pressed his forehead to his brother's. "I won't let you do that. You're dear to me, I can't lose you!" Ashnose's fur bristled. "It's a sacrifice I have to make!" "Who says?" Sandcreek retorted. "I ''say!" Ashnose spat back. The fur on his spine flattened. "If nobody kills her quickly, we won't have an opportunity to eliminate her for good. She'll be transformed when we start attacking. I can't let our own classmates be killed by this badger-cat!" "I..." Sandcreek choked. "I can't lose you! You're the only family I know!" "You have to live without me, brother!" Ashnose cried. "You're a medicine cat and I'm a warrior. Our lives are different! This is how it has to be." "No!" Sandcreek roared. His paws trembled, his breathing quickened. Ashnose's eyes darkened. "You can't stop me. I have to poison Mintstar, and this is the only way it can work." "But that only removes one life," Gullyfern interjected. "Ah," Ashnose continued. "But when she's temporarily dead, we get a strong warrior to decapitate her. No cat can recover from that!" "I'll do it," Frostrift declared immediately. "It has to be me." "That's settled then," Sandcreek whispered. "Tonight?" "Tonight," Ashnose responded. Gullyfern stretched her limbs. "So let me get this straight: We evacuate the elder warriors and kits at dawn, which will be easy because kits are allowed outside and elders are all warriors here. To avoid suspicion, I think we should all lead them to different parts of the territory. Sandcreek and I can do that, Frostrift keeps an eye on Mintstar and Ashnose leads the charge, as a rat." She shook her head. "I can't believe he can actually do that..." Frostrift turned to Sandcreek. "What about the other warriors?" Before Sandcreek could reply, Ashnose bounced between them. "I don't care, it should be their choice. They should get an inkling of what's going to happen when we start the mass evacuations." "Don't interrupt me," Frostrift growled, baring his snow-white teeth at Ashnose. "You may be Mintstar's favourite, but I'm her deputy!" A small voice piped up, "Sandcreek, should I spread the word?" Sandcreek turned to Gullyfern and nodded, and she loped off into the dense pines. "What's the plan now, O great medicine cat?" sneered Frostrift. Sandcreek blinked in surprise. "There's no need to have an attitude!" He paused, thinking. "Ashnose should transform now and travel to the abandoned Twolegplace. You should go back to camp, and... I want to stay here. I need to reflect on some things." Frostrift sauntered off. Ashnose lightly padded up to Sandcreek. "I have to say goodbye." "I'd never forgive you if you didn't." Ashnose purred weakly. "I'm no self-sacrificial martyr-" "You're painting yourself as a martyr with this plan." An awkward silence ensued. "There has to be another way," Sandcreek growled. Ashnose flopped onto the ground. "Well, I haven't thought of any." Sandcreek's shoulders slumped defeatedly. "I guess this really is goodbye." "It is." Ashnose paused. "I love you, Sandcreek. I love your determination, your focus, your appetite for learning, the care you have for your clanmates. You are the leader of the ''true ''Shadowclan's return." Warmth and pain swirled in Sandcreek's heart. "I don't want to leave you, I just can't bring myself to do it. Can't we just stay here, forever?" Ashnose slowly shook his head. "Dusk comes in a few hours. Travelling to that Twolegplace takes a while for a rat, and navigating is a pain when you're small and close to the ground. You can at least watch my final transformation." Sandcreek leapt up in panic. "You're transforming now?" he cried. His brother didn't answer. Solemnly he got to his paws and bit down hard on his tail. There was a ''crack, and a blizzard of harsh cutting winds. Sandcreek squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself until the winds ceased. He crouched down to the dark rat in front of him. "Goodbye, brother," he said softly. "I'll see you in Starclan sometime. And... I love you too." Chapter 10 "I don't want to go on a walk!" the black kit wailed loudly. Sandcreek gritted his teeth. "But don't you want to explore outside the camp? You're lucky you're not a kit of the other clans where this sort of thing is banned!" "I'm too tired!" An apprentice cast a sympathetic gaze. "He sleeps next to me in the apprentice's den, he's stubborn with everyone. I wish his mother was here, but he was taken off her one moon after being born, so he doesn't know his mother. I certainly don't..." "Can't you help me?" Sandcreek sighed irritably. "I'm not a mom!" the apprentice retorted. At least you're used to dealing with stubborn cats!" and raced off. Seething, Sandcreek nabbed the kit by its scruff and strode out of the camp. He didn't know its mother, siblings, or even the kit's name. "What's your name?" he asked, muffled. "Dogkit." "Any siblings?" "Not that I know of. Maybe I do have some..." "Any memories of your mother?" "I have a mother?" "We all come from somewhere, kiddo." Sandcreek walked on in silence. The feeble twilight cast weak glows on the narrow pine trunks, and Sandcreek admired the faint dappled light on the forest floor. He sniffed around for any traces of cats. Perhaps it would be best to dump him with an elder? He dipped his head and walked on in the direction of a small huddle of cats. An elderly warrior greeted him by the stream. His bones clicked as he shifted around, anxiously. "I don't understand what's going on," the warrior croaked. "Something about Ashnose leading a rebellion? Something about rats?" Sandcreek carefully placed Dogkit at the warrior's paws. "Please look after this kit, I don't know who his mother is or if he has siblings." The warrior nodded. "Answer my question." "Ashnose is going to lead a rat invasion in the camp to take one of Mintstar's nine lives. Frostrift will do the rest." "What what do you mean by that?" "I don't want to say." The old warrior snorted. "Gullyfern told me quite a bit. I don't know how that young Ashnose is going to pull it off, but he sure has Starclan on his side." Sandcreek's heart ached at the mention of his brother. "Yeah..." "I want to go home!" Dogkit squeaked. Sandcreek snapped around to face him. "Do you want to get torn apart by rats?" "I can do that, easy! The apprentices teach me fighting moves!" "you can't even fight your way out of a cobweb!" Sandcreek retorted. The old warrior nudged Dogkit away from Sandcreek, who tumbled over his bony paws. "I need to get back, there's still cats I need to evacuate," Sandcreek said. Without a response, he trotted off. On the way back, he spotted a tortoiseshell apprentice with several kits clinging to her back. "A badger ride, Plumpaw?" Sandcreek purred. Plumpaw gazed at him with shining eyes. "This is what the other queens do with their kits, I heard it at the Gathering! If Shadowclan is liberated, then I could be like them too!" Sandcreek's chest urned with hope. He touched his nose to Plumpaw's shoulder. "I promise you, I will make that happen." He licked his chest fur. "Where are you headed?" A place near the Riverclan border, I think we'll be safer there, because if anything happens to us, there's a chance Riverclan evening patrols will be nearby, and the Warrior code says you can't ignore a kit in need!" "I like your thinking!" Plumpaw's words had given him a morale boost. "Be safe okay? Everything will be over by morning." Sandcreek sped up into a brisk run. He wanted to run to the future, to a new dawn, but the only place to go was the camp. Night was falling. It was almost time. Chapter 11 Mintstar's rumbling snores could be heard from the den. Frostrift and Sandcreek waited frozen at the deserted camp's edge. Beside them, Gullyfern crouched to the ground listening for any trace of rats, and Sparrownose stood flank-to-flank beside Sandcreek. Warriors were dotted around the camp's borders. "Any minute now," Frostrift breathed. He crouched back, ready to spring into battle. In the distance, a faint rustling steadily grew louder. Sandcreek's ears perked up. "That's him!" he whispered. Ashnose, in rat form, burst through the camp entrance, followed by a black wave. The death berry juice gleamed in the faint moonlight. The snores stopped, and a ferocious snarl echoed. Warriors dove into battle, weaving around and wrestling with rats. Mintstar thrashed around, swatting away vermin left and right. Sandcreek could see tension on her face. Is she planning to transform? She was a rat-killing machine, stomping on them, clawing their guts out, swatting them away. She killed them more efficiently than her warriors. "Get out of the camp!" she roared to her warriors. "I can handle this alone. You're too precious to waste on such a trivial enemy. Go to the borders and wait for me!" Her warriors scrambled away fearfully, and Sandcreek squinted at her. After a few more minutes of mass slaughter, she reached for her tail. There was an ear-splitting crack''and a bright light. When Sandcreek reopened his eyes, he froze at what he saw. A badger, as tall as three cats, and shaggy legs like boulders. Yellow eyes gleamed brightly. Saliva dripped from its snarling mouth. Rats weaved in and out of it, but the badger didn't budge. Its teeth were more pointed than an eagle's talons. ''So this is Darkfang. Beside him, Frostrift had turned rigid. "The terror of the clans," he whispered. "This is Mintstar... is this her true form?" Frostrift turned to him hastily. "We can take her down together." Other warriors crept out of hiding at his words, all covered in rat bites. "We have numbers! A large number of cats can eventually defeat a badger." "Don't be crazy," Sandcreek hissed, his eyes widening in worry. "This isn't a normal badger!" "Badgers are all the same!" Frostrift growled. "I'm the strongest warrior here!" Sandcreek shook his head and faced him, nose to nose. "Let Ashnose do his thing! Remember Ashclan?" Frostrift stepped back. "Fine," he huffed. The other warriors crept back into their hiding places. Sandcreek kept searching for his brother. The number of rats had been severely reduced now, but carcasses still littered the camp. A voice spoke up behind him. "This is taking too long! I'll fight her myself." A long shape streaked past Sandcreek and tumbled into the camp. Mintstar whirled around to look at him, her beady badger eyes transfixed on the cat. Minstar bounded forward, crashing into the cat head-on. She rolled around quickly and pinned him down, hot saliva staining his neck fur. The cat's eyes were wide with fear. "He couldn't even lay a scratch on her!" whispered Frostrift in a high pitched voice. "Shh! He could be a distraction for Ashnose," Sandcreek hissed. Minstar grabbed the cat in her jaws and swung him around several times until he went limp in her jaws. with a final throw, she clamped down hard and separated the body from the head in one crunch. "I... I can't do that to her," Frostrift faltered, "it's impossible!" Sandcreek nudged him. "Shut up!" he squeaked. Nausea rose in his belly. He thought of his brother, getting torn limb by limb, ripped apart by Mintstar's terrifying jaws. Ashnose, please hurry up! A silver glint flashed in his vision. Chapter 12 Ashnose was drowning in rat bodies. In the flashes of pale light he saw Mintstar's badger form thrashing around, rats scuttling about the place and a cat getting tossed around until he was decapitated. The brief moments of it made him sick. I have to do this, I just need an opportunity! He dashed to the end of the camp, and hurried around to where Mintstar was facing. she moves around to much, I can't get a clear window! He started squeaking like mad. Surely the moonlight is reflecting off this juice... A loud grunt sounded in front of him. Mintstar had spotted him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Her jaws parted a little. Yes, this is perfect! He was cold, exhausted, and sopping wet. The stench of the juice burdened his navigational skills, and his vision wasn't much better. Can I even make this jump? He crouched down. The badger stayed frozen. With all his might, Ashnose pushed himself upwards with his hind legs and stretched himself outwards with his front legs. A slight breeze rushed past him, chilling him to the core. He collided with Mintstar's jaws and wriggled through. The inside of her mouth was blisteringly hot, a sharp contrast to the cold night outside. Her wet teeth coated him in saliva as he brushed against them. Her pointed tongue bobbed up and down. He heard a muffled grunt, and the walls of her mouth shook. Snarling, Mintstar snapped open her jaws. Ashnose braced himself, frozen with fear. The snarl echoed through the trees. Opening one eye, he found himself staring at his brother, standing as frozen as he was on the camp's border. Sandcreek's eyes were stretched wide, his jaw agape. A whirlwind of emotions breezed across his face: shock, fear, heartache, pride, loss, anger, defeat, hopelessness. Brother, I'm sorry, but there's no other way. Ashnose felt a pointed tip touch his back and sink into him, and all went dark. A hot sticky liquid welled up around his paws. He felt another tooth touch his belly before plunging into him. In the midst of the blinding pain, he had one thought: I need to get to her throat. Mintstar roared as she tasted the bitter death berry juice, and Ashnose wrenched himself free. Why can't I feel my hind legs? He tumbled back, limp, into Mintstar's throat. It was dark. He could feel himself growing weaker. He was exhausted, his body was coated in his blood, every fibre of his body screeched with pain. Can Starclan find me here? ''he wondered. ''Who will take me? I want… I want to see my brother… o0o0o Sandcreek watched Ashnose disappear. From beside him, Sparrownose flinched. "Ashnose!" screamed his mentor. N''o, no, don't bring her attention to you! Wait until the deathberries activate, you'll get yourself killed! He can't and won't come back, and we both know it.'' Sparrownose tentatively placed a paw in the camp. Minstar's head turned rapidly, and Sparrownose was thrown off balance. Mintstar swayed slightly. The deathberries... I think they're working! One badger leg gave way, and Mintstar toppled. With a grunt, she rolled onto her side. Her flanks stilled, and the camp was silent. A pause. "Frostrift, now!" hissed Sandcreek. On cue, Frostrift bounded into the clearing. "Help me, you lot!" he called to his fellow warriors. "We don't have much time!" Cats ran into the camp, dazed. "Dig at her neck, or kill off those rats!" he roared. Cats gathered around and started hacking away at her fur, others turned their attention to the rats. Minutes passed. Sandcreek watched on numbly. Are they trying to rescue Ashnose? ''He shook his head. Cats had now stepped back and gathered in a circle. Frostrift had dug his claws into the ground, and Gullyfern and a few others held on to the body. Some cats loitered around Sparrownose, bleeding profusely. With a final ''rip ''Mintstar's badger head came off, and the clan cheered. ''It's over, ''thought Sandcreek. ''A new dawn has begun. The moon hung high in the sky. Sandcreek crumpled. We lost Ashnose, but is it really worth it? "She's not coming back!" Frostrift cheered. "She's not coming back!" the clan chanted. "She's not coming back!" Sandcreek felt a familiar bristly tail-tip along his spine. "Sparrownose," he croaked. "You're safe!" Sparrownose turned his head to meet him. "You need some rest. You've been through a lot." Sandcreek nodded. He started to pad away and turned his head towards the camp. Frostrift was surrounded by the crowd of clan cats, barking out orders. "It looks like we'll be going to the Moonpool soon," he purred weakly. Sparrownose nodded. "But for now, let's get some rest." Epilogue Sandcreek splayed himself in the bright sun beside Sparrownose, basking in the warm earth. He closed his eyes. He heard the chatter of Plumtalon's kits as they squealed and jostled about on her back. He purred. looks like her dreams have come true. He caught a whiff of Froststar padding across the camp. "Back from patrol already, Froststar?" he yawned. "Caught anything good?" He opened one eye, and looked up. A vole was in Froststar's jaws. "I was going to give this to the elders, it's such a relief they can just relax their bones as proper elders instead of warriors. I'm concerned about the lack of meat on their bones, so I caught something protein-filled just for them." "As a good leader should." Sandcreek stretched his paws. Froststar's voice lowered to a whisper. "I don't want to bring this up but... have you talked to your brother lately?" Sadness flickered in Sandcreek's heart, and he lowered his head in grief. "Ever since he died, several moons ago, he tries to talk to me every night. He says there's a lot of discussion in Starclan about what happened. Some more senior members are even discussing whether Lovacs should exist at all, with all the trouble they caused. One Windclan warrior, Thicketpelt, says her apprentice, a former leader, stole the most powerful Lovac in order to get revenge on the Thunderclan warrior that killed him! She says Mintstar is a mouse compared to that Lovac... I don't even want to describe it!" Sandcreek shuddered. Froststar gave a pensive grunt. "If it's not in our borders, it's not our problem." Despite these words, Sandcreek caught a trace of worry on his face. "Anything else?" "Ashnose also told be Shadowclan won't be getting any Lovacs for a while due to the trouble it's caused. He's the honorary protector of them now, for his courageous sacrifice." "Makes sense." He started to pad away. "Enjoy the sun, Sandcreek, I hear there's rainclouds on the horizon." Sandcreek felt his stomach gurgle, and trotted up to Froststar. "Do you mind if we eat together?" Froststar shook his head. "You have to wait. Elders and queens get fed first, remember?" Blinking in surprise, Sandcreek turned around to the new nursery. How long had it been since the Warrior Code was prominent in Shadowclan? This was the first time he had seen it being practiced within his own borders. Sulkily he padded away. There were the new kits, the elders' stories, the happy queens, but no more feeding priority was a minus. "Sandcreek?" Sparrownose's voice sounded behind him. "Are you okay?" His bristly tail-tip danced along Sparrownose's spine. Sparrownose let out a sigh, and his stomach rumbled again. "I'm fine." "Doesn't look like it." Sparrownose's eyes gleamed cheekily. "Something tells me you're hungry. We always have herbs in our den, you know!" Sandcreek pounced away from him. "Yuck!" He stuck out his tongue. "Hungry?" asked a she-cat from behind them. Sandcreek saw Gullyfern trotting towards them, dropping a frog. "I just caught this. Did you know the medicine cats eat around the same time as elders? They have a non-combat role so I guess they have feeding priority too." Sandcreek jumped up in delight snd started sloppily munching on it. Sparrownose purred in amusement. "Any news from Thunderclan?" he asked between a mouthful. Gullyfern's eyes darkened. "They've had three deaths in one day. Something about a dog?" Sandcreek froze. "Oh, that's awful!" wailed Sparrownose. "Hopefully it's a one-time thing." "Not in our borders, not our problem," mumbled Sandcreek quietly. Gullyfern nodded slowly. "I'll talk to Thunderclan's deputy, Batsnout, at the next gathering. He must have some more information. This could become a lake-wide threat." "Don't worry about it," said Sandcreek sternly. "It won't bother us here. We have warmth, shelter, freedom, plenty of food, we're ''safe, ''Gullyfern! You as our deputy should realise that." Gullyfern blinked. "If you say so, Sandcreek. You're a communicator with Starclan, after all." She walked away. Sandcreek retuned to his original basking spot and nestled down with Sparrownose, their tails twined. "Is that the powerful Lovac you were talking about?" Sparrownose whispered. Sandcreek nodded. "It will only affect Thunderclan, Ashnose told me." Sandcreek lifted his head, and scanned the camp in its sun-bathed, bustling glory. "We're safe now, Sparrownose. We're free."